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No.Evie’slive.

Fuck! I can’t believe the little minx has snuck off and gone live right under our noses. Bet she doesn’t know I have my phone set to alert me whenever she does though.

I tap the notification and the stream opens. The screen glows pink, that familiarHoneylogo lit up on the wall behind the mic stand. She’s not on camera – never is – but the soft lighting spills just far enough to catch the outline of her guitar in her lap, her fingers poised on the strings like she was born to play.

And her voice –fuck. It winds around me like a silk ribbon, tightening with every note. Smoky, aching, laced with something raw that tugs at everything in me.

“Shit,” I breathe, waving the phone toward the others. “You need to see this.”

Dane joins us first, towelling off his hands. Xar comes second, brushing pine needles from his hoodie. I hold the phone out and we watch together – silent, reverent.

Her voice isn’t polished or perfect. It’s raw. Honest. Beautiful in the way only Evie can be. She doesn’t try to impress anyone. Shemeansit. Every damn word.

“For the ones who found me,” she says into the mic, just before the chorus hits. “And made me want to be found.”

And something in my chest breaks clean open.

I hand the phone off – don’t even look back to see who catches it – and head for the stairs.

I don’t even knock.

She doesn’t hear me. Or maybe she does, but she doesn’t turn around. She’s still singing, eyes closed, fingers moving with practiced ease. Her voice trembles just a little on the final note.

I cross the room in a few strides and reach out, cupping her cheek, brushing the backs of my fingers down her jaw.

She blinks, startled, eyes meeting mine.

And I say it.

“I love you.”

Her breath hitches.

“I know I’ve been an absolute arse before we met you,” I continue, voice rough. “Thinking we didn’t need an omega. That we were fine on our own. I thought needing someone made us weak. But you...you made me see it’s the opposite. You made us stronger, honeybee. You mademebetter. And I’m sorry it took me this long to say it.”

She stares at me, wide-eyed and still and utterly beautiful.

And then adingsounds from the desk.

I freeze.

My eyes snap to the screen. The comments areblowing up.

“Was that Blaise Virelli?”

“NO WAY THAT’S BLAISE FROM RUIN BOUND???”

“WAIT IS HONEY HIS MATE??”

“How cute is that nickname? Honeybee!”

“I KNEW THAT VOICE OMGGGG.”

“SHE’S HIS OMEGA??? SHE’STHEIROMEGA???”

I lunge forward and fumble for the mouse, slamming the stream off mid-comment.

“Fuck.”